our discussion of this guy, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.

討論這號人物：JD沙林傑的麥田捕手

So Holden Caulfield is often dismissed by teenagers for being a whiny little Nathaniel

霍頓考菲常常被青少年視為一個就像「紅字」裡的奈森一樣的中二屁孩

Hawthorne, who hates his life but never does anything to change it.

討厭自己的人生但又不做任何改變

Mr. Green, Mr. Green! All the kids in school say he resembles me

葛林老師！葛林老師！所有學校裡的人都說他很像我

Ughhh, and he does me from the past. And frankly the idea that your third rate, first world

好拉他真的很像，過去的我。老實說，這種看起來不重要的人生問題

problems can be the subject of great literature is a bit difficult to swallow. Also how many

能夠成為文學中的重要主題可能會讓你覺得有些奇怪，還有，要我講多少次

times do I have say it, no hats in class! Especially people hunting hats!

不准上課戴帽子！尤其是獵人帽！

This is where, if you're the kind of person who thinks that books should be read with

我先發個聲明，如果你是那種認為書必須和作者

their authors in mind, it becomes relevant that J.D. Salinger saw more combat in World

一併閱讀的人，那麼告訴你JD沙林傑比任何一個美國人

War Two than almost any other American. The great American war novels of that generation;

看到更多二次大戰。當時關於美國戰爭的書籍

Catch 22, Slaughterhouse 5, The Naked and the Dead, were all written by men who saw

像「第22條軍規」、「第五號屠宰場」和「裸者與死者」都是由經歷過戰爭的恐懼感

far less of war's horror, than J.D. Salinger did. He was on Utah Beach on D-Day. At the

遠遠少於沙林傑的作者寫的。諾曼第登陸時他在猶他海邊

Battle of the Bulge and he was one of the first Americans to enter a liberated concentration

他經歷過突出布之役，也是其中一個去過解放集中營的美國人

camp. And yet Salinger returned home and wrote not about war, but about Holden Caulfield

然而沙林傑回家之後並非寫關於戰爭的作品，而是關於霍頓考菲

bumming around New York City. So you see you can say that the stakes aren't high in this

一個人在紐約市閒晃。所以你可以說在這本書中的格局不夠高

novel, but as Salinger well knew the cruel and phony world of adults doesn't just treat

但是沙林傑知道太多在殘酷和假掰的成人世界中不只是對

people like Holden Caulfield poorly, it kills them.

像霍頓考菲這樣的人不友善，它甚至會殺了他

[Theme Music]

所以其實很容易就把霍頓考菲這個角色

So it's easy enough, and extremely common, to conflate Holden Caulfield the character

和沙林傑視為一體。唯一一次沙林傑考慮此小說的改編

with J.D. Salinger the man. The only time Salinger seriously considered an adaptation

是改編成一個舞台劇，而他自己演出霍頓考菲

of the novel, for instance, it was as a play in which he would play Holden Caulfield even

即使當時沙林傑已經三十幾歲了。霍頓考菲對年輕女生著迷

though by then Salinger was in his thirties. Holden Caulfield is obsessed with young women

而且對自己的性向認同產生衝突感;ＪＤ沙林傑交往且娶過

and has a deeply conflicted relationship with their sexuality; J.D. Salinger dated and married

許多比他年輕十幾歲的女人。但總而言之，我並不覺得用小說

many women who were decades younger than him. But ultimately I don't think it's that interesting

分析它的作家有那麼有趣。然而，想像如果你才剛從一個可怕的戰役

to use a novel to analyze its author; however, imagine that you've just come home from a

回家。你看過戰爭且經歷過集中營，而且你已經

horribly destructive war. You've seen combat and you've seen concentration camps and you've

失去那個大多數幸運的我們不會失去的純真。如同我們上週談的

lost innocence in a way that most of us thankfully never will. As we discussed last week, the

麥田捕手的經典句便是緊抓純真，你了解

traditional line on 'Catcher' is that it's a book about clinging to innocence; you know,

彼得潘拒絕長大，克莉絲想要變成自己的女兒

Peter Pan refusing to grow up, Kris Jenner thinking she can be one of her daughters,

川普花大錢投資在最爛的假髮上。而那種嘗試想要

Donald Trump investing his fortune in the least believable wig ever. And that trying

留住一切、想要一切維持一定的狀態是愚蠢的，而且將通往瘋狂的狀態

to keep everything the same and everyone innocent is a fool's errand and only leads to madness.

而書中很多地方可以支持這個論點：他即使很想要歷史博物館

And there's a lot in the text to support that - how much he loves nothing ever changing

永遠不變，即使較喜歡想像珍凱勒格是個糟糕的西洋棋手

at the Natural History Museum, how he prefers imagining Jane Gallagher as a terrible Checkers

而不是一個性對象，或是他多麽想當一個麥田中的捕手。而即使霍頓

player than as a sexual being or how he wants to be a catcher in the rye. And while Holden

守護純真的慾望強到幾乎使它達到瘋狂狀態，在他身上仍舊散發一絲英勇氣概

is driven mad by this desire to preserve innocence, there's also something kind of heroic about

我是說，就算麥田捕手的目標根本達不到，但至少可以說

it. I mean, the catcher in the rye might be on a hopeless mission, but at least it's arguably

是一個崇高的目標。就像大亨小傳的蓋茲比或羅密歐一樣，孩童真的值得被我們保護

a noble one, like Gatsby's, or Romeo's. I mean, children do deserve our protection,

而在戰爭或其他地方沙林傑常常看到或遭遇到有時這個假掰的世界

and in war and elsewhere Salinger often saw and sometimes was a victim of that phony adult

會欺負那些柔弱或害怕的人

world that preys on the weak and the frightened.

而在閱讀這本書後，書中最後一幕特別有趣

And in this reading, the final scene of the book is particularly interesting. Let's go

讓我們進入思想泡泡：現在霍頓的妹妹非比騎在

to the Thought Bubble: So Holden's little sister Phoebe is riding

旋轉木馬上（算是純真的小孩子遊樂設施）、她說她已經年紀太大

the carousel - an innocent kid activity if ever there was one - she says she's too big,

但霍頓說服他才不會。霍頓自己顯然才是年紀太大，所以他只是在一旁看

but Holden convinces her otherwise. He's definitely too big though, so he just watches. And as

而當旋轉木馬開始轉時。非比就像其他孩子一樣，一直在試著抓住那個金環，而霍頓當時說：

the carousel spins, Phoebe, like all the other kids, keeps reaching for this gold ring; and Holden says:

「我有點擔心她會從那他媽的馬上摔下來，但我沒有說任何事或做任何事

"I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddamn horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything.

對小孩來說，如果他們想要抓那個金環，你必須讓他們抓

The thing with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it,

你不能勸她不要，如果他們跌倒，他們就會跌倒。但是如果叫他們不要做的話不是件好事。」

and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them."

結束後，非比試著讓霍頓騎上去，但他拒絕了，然後

The ride finishes, Phoebe tries to get Holden to ride it, but he declines, and then it starts

開始下雨。她便拿起霍頓的紅色獵帽（一個很神奇的物品，如果真的存在的話）

raining, and she puts Holden's red hunting cap (an enchanted object if ever there was

然後戴在他頭上。這幕通常被解讀為純真和轉變的象徵，

one) on his head. This scene is usually read as being about innocence and change, which

也是我們上週所提的，但那個紅色獵帽是重點。他告訴我們

is how we read it last week, but that red hunting cap is vital. He tells us that he

那頂帽子是他把擊劍隊器具遺忘在地鐵後立刻買的，那是一個他非常脆弱的時刻

got the hat soon after leaving the fencing equipment on the subway - an intensely vulnerable

而它無疑地給他自信。比方說，他在寫

moment - and it obviously gives him confidence. He wears it, for instance, when writing the

阿利的作文時戴著它。但他同時也讓自己充滿自我意識，為了不要看起來可疑而拿下它

essay about Allie's glove, but he's also self-conscious about it, taking off so as not to look suspicious,

而且只在「我知道不會遇到我認識的人」的時候戴上。然後

and only putting it on when, quote: "I knew I wouldn't meet anyone that knew me." And

在最後面，非比將那獵帽戴在他頭上，就好比說：「這個東西如果可以帶給你自信

there at the end, Phoebe puts the hunting cap on him, as if to say: "this thing gives

而讓你可以在雨中看清楚世界，並且使你可以持續在大人世界裡

you the confidence you need to keep the rain out of your eyes and go on living with some

帶有一點尊嚴地生存下去的話，那麼你就戴上吧！」

semblance of integrity in the adult world? So wear it."

謝拉，思想泡泡。所以簡單來說，以一個很隱晦的方式，非比

Thanks, Thought Bubble. So in short, in a very quiet and subtle way, Phoebe empathizes

產生對霍頓的同理之情。這是很令人驚訝的，因為在整本小說裡從來沒有任何人

with Holden, which is striking mostly because no one has empathized with him in the entire

同理他。霍頓卻是非常具同理心的：記得他寫給他的老師

novel. Holden can be tremendously empathetic: remember that he writes to his teacher telling

請他不要因為把它當掉而覺得愧疚嗎？但是從他的朋友到他的老師到修女到

him not to feel bad about failing him? But from his friends to his teachers to nuns to

妓女到計程車司機，霍頓從來不覺得自己被傾聽。ＪＤ沙林傑，顯然地

prostitutes to cabbies, Holden never feels like he's being heard. J.D. Salinger is, of

出了名的不想讓人知道他出名：他在六零年代早期就停止出版

course, most famous for not wanting to be famous: he stopped publishing in the early

並且過了極度有隱私的生活。在麥田捕手中重要一段，霍頓寫說：

1960s and lived an intensely private life. In a famous passage from 'Catcher', Holden says:

「真的讓我很有感受的書是那種當你結束閱讀他的時候，你希望

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish

那本書的作者是你的很好的朋友，然後你可以在任何時候打給他

the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the

只要你想要的話。」

phone whenever you felt like it."

簡單來說，就是一個同理於你的作家。順帶一提，跟蹤一位作家

An author, in short, that empathizes with you. Just as an aside, it's never a good idea

不是個好主意，即使他常常在推特PO文也一樣。反正就是...不要到他家拉

to try to track down an author; even if he tweets a lot, still, don't come to his house.

沙林傑就是像那種作家一樣：百萬人，包括我，閱讀完麥田捕手後

Salinger was that kind of author for millions of people, including me. We read 'The Catcher

覺得這本書真的很深入地了解我們，但是霍頓不知道

in the Rye' and feel like the book understands us in deep and improbable ways, but what Holden

但沙林傑了解的是：書不代表作者。你可能

Caulfield didn't understand and Salinger did is that a book is not its author. You may

希望自己可以想打就打給作家（我再說一次，最好不要），但是

wish that you could call up the author whenever you felt like it, and again - don't, but the

真正的歸屬認同並不是從作家來的，而是從書本文字中。而這就是為什麼

real comfort is found not in the author, but in the text. And this is where it becomes

書中有兩個霍頓在敘述故事：先有一個十六歲的霍頓

relevant that there are in fact two Holdens in this story: there's the 16-year old Holden

當時經歷的各種事，然後還有十七歲正在敘述這個故事的霍頓

the story is happening to, and the 17-year old Holden who is telling us about it.

那個事情正發生在他身上的霍頓在使他人聆聽他講話的方面很糟，事實上

The Holden the story is happening to sucks at getting people to listen to him; in fact,

所有書中的人，霍頓在內，都太執迷於自己的事物而無法聽任何人講話

everyone in the book, including Holden, is way too self-involved to listen to anybody.

雖然公平來說，他們那麼執迷是因為...噢，又是開信時間了嗎？

Although the be fair, they're self-involved because -- oh, it's time for the open letter?

一封寫給「執迷於自我」的信。但首先，我們先看看神秘抽屜中是什麼東西

An open letter to the phrase "self-involved." But first let's see what's in the secret compartment today.

噢，是一個旋轉木馬！它一直在繞圈、一直繞圈。你真的很有象徵共鳴性

Oh, it's a carousel! Just keeps going around and around...you are extremely symbolically resonant,

但我還有一封信必須傳遞。而且這個節目不是只談旋轉木馬，這個節目談的是我

but I've got an open letter to deliver. And this show ain't about carousels, it's about me.

親愛的執迷於自我：不然還要執迷於誰？

Dear self-involved, Whose 'self' would I otherwise be involved

想想看如果不是只想到自己，而是花所有時間

with? Let's imagine that instead of thinking about myself I spent all my time thinking

想想別人現在在做什麼、在想什麼，你知道這叫什麼嗎？

about some other person and what they're doing and how they feel right now, you know what

偷窺狂！除非那個人是班乃迪克康柏拜區，如果是這樣的話是叫做

that's called? - CREEPERING! Unless the person is Benedict Cumberbatch, then that's called

Tumblr。好啦，講自我執迷。155,000

Tumblr. Here's the thing, self-involved - 155,000

個人今天會死掉。如果我承受那155,000個人的死且悲傷程度就像

people are going to die today. If I felt the loss of all 155,000 of those people as intensely

我承受...班乃迪克的死好了，的痛苦程度的話，那我不就

as I would feel the loss of, say, Benedict Cumberbatch, then I would be Herman Melville

要瘋了！人們會自我執迷是因為假如我們同理全人類的話

crazy. People are self-involved because if we empathized with all human beings equally

我們永遠沒有辦法把事情做好

we would never be able to get anything done.

重點是就算知道你永遠會是你自己人生

The challenge is in understanding that while you'll always be the central character in

的主角，其他人也很重要，而同理他們更重要

your own narrative, other people matter too and empathizing with them is hugely important.

總之，自我執迷，我對你沒有意見，但你不用那麼過頭

In short, self-involved, I don't have a problem with you exactly, but you don't have to go all fountain-head-y about it.

愛你的，約翰葛林

Best wishes, John Green

所以那位事情正發生在身上的霍頓無法讓任何人聽他說話，除了

So the Holden the story is happening to can't get anyone to listen to him other than his

他妹妹和一個潛能變態者。但一年後，他找到一個方法寫出自己的故事

sister and a probable creeper. But a year later, he's found a way to write about his

並且得到我們的關注。透過像紅色獵帽一樣，我們理解他，並且能夠

story and make us care. Through things like the red hunting cap, we understand him and

聽他說話。而就算他的挑戰不是在猶他海灘或在許特根森林

we can listen to him. An even though his battles aren't fought on Utah Beach or in the Hürtgen

我們還是在乎那些挑戰。那就是語言的奇蹟，尤其是有效的、抽象的語言

Forest, we care about them. That's the miracle of language, especially effective, figurative

那頂獵帽、被動詞態、歷史博物館、旋轉木馬

language. The hunting cap, the passive voice, the Natural History Museum, the carousel:

這些都通往霍頓的經驗。這就是他讓我們進入他的腦袋

all these things are ways into Holden's experience. That's how he gets into our brains and lets

並從他眼中看世界的方法。在形容非比在旋轉木馬上一直繞圈一直繞圈

us see the world through his eyes. After describing Phoebe going around and around

之後，霍頓寫道：「天阿，我真希望你們在現場。」但我們真的在！

on that carousel, Holden writes, "God, I wish you could have been there." But we are there!

當學生抱怨要批判性的閱讀它，要寫這些「英文作業的東東」

When students complain about reading critically, about having to do all this "English-class-stuff",

他們就會忘記這些。那些英文課要寫的東東是發展同理心的一步。而對於霍頓來說

that's what they're forgetting. All that English class stuff is a way into empathy; for Holden

和對我們全部來說，這是讓我們聆聽且被聆聽的方式。謝謝收看，我們下週見

and for all of us, it's a way to hear and be heard. Thanks for watching. I'll see you next week.

Crash Course是由史丹穆勒發行及執導，劇本編輯監督是由美樂蒂丹可

Crash Course is produced and directed by Stan Muller, the script supervisor is Meredith

我們的製作人是丹尼卡強生，節目是我們的，然後動畫

Danko, our associate producer is Danica Johnson, the show is written by me and our graphics

是由思想泡泡團隊製作

team is Thought Bubble.

Every week instead of cursing, I use the name of writers I like - or, Nathaniel Hawthorne

- you can suggest other writers in comments where you can also ask questions about today's

video that will be answered by our team of literature experts.

I'm just kidding, Nathaniel Hawthorne, I love you. Thanks for watching Crash Course, and

as we say in my home town: don't forget to be awesome.